In an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union" Sunday, Bush said ISIS -- which has taken credit for the attacks that killed more than 120 people in Paris -- and al Qaeda, which struck the United States on September 11, 2001, are both examples of Islamic terrorism.

"This is not a question of religion," Bush said. "This is a political ideology that has co-opted a religion, and I think it's more than acceptable to call it for what it is and then organize an effort to destroy it."

She pointed to then-President George W. Bush's response to the 9/11 attacks, calling it a contribution "that George W. Bush made after 9/11 when he basically said after going to a mosque in Washington, 'We are not at war with Islam or Muslims. We are at war with violent extremism. We are at war with people who use their religion for purposes of power and oppression.'"

"And yes, we are at war with those people that I don't want us to be painting with too broad a brush," Clinton said.

Jeb Bush, meanwhile, also said he is open to declaring war against ISIS under the terms of NATO, noting that France has long been a key U.S. ally.

"If that's what the French want -- our longest and strongest ally over our entire history -- then we should certainly consider it," Bush said.